Recently, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) social media cell and supporters of party chief MK Stalin took to social media, as part of MK Stalin’s image-building exercise, to post an infographic claiming the DMK chief was awarded a doctorate by the ‘Irish International University’ when he was Mayor of Chennai.
According to a report by The Commune, the pro-DMK social media accounts posted images of Stalin stating that MK Stalin was the only Mayor from India to have participated in the ‘International Mayors Conference’ and was awarded a ‘doctorate’ by the ‘Irish International University’ for his contribution to ‘local governance’.
However, it turns out that the Irish International university is an ‘unaccredited and bogus’ university that has lured students and offered ‘sub-standard and worthless degrees’.
DMK President @MKStalin’s PR Team claims he was awarded Honorary Doctorate by Irish International University honouring his contributions to Local Bodies as Minister. It’s found out that no such Irish International University exists & it’s a scam. EVR’s bogus UNESCO Award repeat? pic.twitter.com/ZK1GguvIg3
— SG Suryah (@SuryahSG) December 29, 2020
According to a 2008 report by BBC, the bogus Irish University was nothing but a scam that offers sub-standard and worthless degrees and lures foreign students. The report has criticised the UK government for allowing such universities to flourish in the UK – virtually unchecked for several years. The investigative report of the BBC went on to describe it as an educational scam that targeted foreign students.
Similarly, another report by The Irish Times had also called the Irish International University as a “bogus university” that “targets overseas students with the promise of earning an Irish university qualification online that holds “international recognition”.
It seems like the DMK supporters, in their hurry to further false propaganda favouring their party chief DMK, ended up scoring a massive self-goal.
